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Here are some pertinent statistics I drew on for the podcast – note the last charts and the items in red. Those are categories where we are behind our opponents.

Here are our latest National Ranking standings after this last game. The only two where we are in the top third of the 128 teams are Turnover Margin and the rather minor 4th down Conversion Percentage. Other than that we pretty much are in the bottom third in all the other rankings.

This is pretty scary to me – especially given that we have played three relatively poor teams this season so far. YSU, Rice and Syracuse were not above average if even that when we played them yet we still are worse than the teams we have played in every line item except Passing First Downs and First Downs by Penalty.

To twist the stick in your eye even further remember that our offense scored 41.5 ppg last season – a margin of +17.2 points… or 2 TDs and a FG less per game than we have this year.

This is the lineup we face for our last six games – try to see if you can find four wins in there, using the last chart below, to get us .500 on the season and to become bowl eligible… I really can’t.

Even though this is hard to read – here are the full ACC rankings at this time.

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Reed Kohberger
Retired Coast Guard Officer with a lot of time on his hands and working a hobby that he enjoys and is actually free - writing.... on all different sorts of things but mostly Pitt football. You can see my more public articles and essays at WWW.pittblather.com, reedkohberger.wordpress.com and the new Pitt football blog www.pittpov.com.

PublishedOctober 8, 2017October 9, 2017

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180 thoughts on “POV: Sunday Podcast – Syracuse Game”

I think you missed the point on playing Davis & Pickett and any other young player. You don’t waste a redshirt for 10 carries or one snap. It’s not about love for Davis or Pickett. We have to use the season to evaluate the talent level on our roster.

Why wait until the spring to see if these kids have it or not? If they don’t have it, get kids that do. That goes to recruiting. I don’t want to wait three more years to find out if they have talent. WV started a freshman DL and he impacted the game at TCU. There were others.

Narduzzi has caught himself here. If his strategy was to wait until next year, he shouldn’t of burned any redshirts. Period.

I would love to see the OL grades for each player. They grade them every game. Why don’t we ask Narduzzi how they graded out?

Where do we stand on OC play calling ranking? Where do we stand on a DC leaving on an island a replacement CB on a star wide receiver? Statistics are a blend of the J and Joe’s and X’s and O’s. They only imperfectly measure dumb.

She is the f ing Athletic Director Ike. It is her team. Jesus man. Are you serious?????????? What does the CEO of Ford have to do with F-150’s????? She is the CEO of Athletics in case you weren’t aware. It is her mother fing team. God your head is full of pitt homeritis.

Just like a F-150 everything from bolts to marketing falls under the CEO.

And here you want to give dear Heather a pass on her #1 Sport. I will tell her to get another trophy for you for some BS halftime event in from of 17k fans vs. actually doing work while her top 2 sports are in the Shathouse.

This season is already over. Now both Davis & Pickett’s RSs are smoked. Play Paris Ford now as well. I’m liking what I’v seen from Reynolds, Weaver, Hamlin, Pine, Camp, Coleman, etc. Play them all now. Get all the youngins experience. 2018 is only 10 months away.

Agree 100%. enthusiasm in this season is seriously waning (even with Ike) and anger/frustration is rising in its place. At least if they play all the young guys the anticipation in potential takes over for next season. Plus the players would all have a half season of game experience against quality ACC competition in the form of NCSU, VT and Miami. Should probably also get Mathis in there since his RS is burned too. Has Pinnock played? Find all the defensive starters for next season in the remaining games.

The season is over, if you’re looking at a bowl game. However, use this to evaluate your QBs, defensive backs, etc. I like the young talent. Play Britt the rest of the year – we all know what Ben can do.

That being said, Pitt played well enough to win but could not overcome:
– Jester Weah with another drop of a sure touchdown.
– Quadree Henderson turning the wrong way and tangling up his feet, tripping on what would have been a sure touchdown.
– Chris Pine leveling the quarterback late, instead of a punt Syracuse gets a touchdown.

That’s a 21-point swing and the game. Also, Maddox getting hurt as mentioned above, he had controlled his man most of the day but wasn’t in for the TD (which I swear was an offensive push).

All in all, I think the future is at least optimistic. But not this year. Time to get them ready for next year.

I can care less. She runs athletics and her two sports suck. Leaders lead Ike they don’t make excuses. She is grossly inadequate and has zero idea what she is doing. She is focused on Star Wars Night when the only teams that matter SUCK. The day she took the job the teams were hers. BS to think otherwise. I swear you guys have Government Jobs with your mentality for producing.

The blame game is the easiest job on the planet. However once the tables turn and that guy is in the spotlight real quick.

Seen this dog & pony blame game before, it’s all about fake news & unfair personality assassinations once THAT guy’s in the hot seat.

There is always room for criticism, ALWAYS. There is no “perfect” in the human condition. Play Pickett and the other players who will be here for the next three years. This is a rebuilding season at this point. The rest of this year is Spring Ball a little early. Let’s give these new guys a chance for some glory. We’re going to go 4-8 in any case so who cares?

Ike, Heather has quite a bit to do with the current and future direction of both programs. The current level of play from both squads are unacceptable. I’m sure even you will recognize that. An effective ,pro active ad would let Duzzer and Stallings know that. They both have no fear of her, none, and granted, this is just rumors I hear, but I have no reason to doubt.
So ya, Mark is on the money here.

Agree with all who say get the young guns out there…let them give and take their licks as a ” band of brothers” going forward… who knows, maybe something special starts in this long fall training camp.

evaluate what you got and what you ain’t got…recruit using the “early playing time” mantra..

Joe, I don’t disagree about the future of PITT’s two big sports programs. What I disagree is what in the heck should have she done at the moment. that’s a job in progress.

To think she has anything to do with either program in there present stages is beyond ludicrous to me. I’m sorry.

PITT may not be all that good right now but putting blame on someone just because you like to complain all day long is unacceptable to me. Upitt is the boy who cried wolf. Watch, it will bite him in his ass soon enough… ike

Then when it is fair to judge her Ike? 5 years? 10? 2? I’m dying for this answer. It all comes down to Reed’s point. This university doesn’t care about Athletics at all. If you do you never hire Pat I have zero clue how to be Head Coach – But I use Twitter Narduzzi, Stallings or Heather Lyke.

Ike, Do you really think an ad like Tressel or May wouldn’t have had a chit chat with Duzzer by this time?? Seriously, answer me this, do you ever see her being able to have that talk?? There is no fear whatsoever, therefore no reason to change. The coach is responsible, but if he will not change then what? She should have been up to speed on both major programs. So ya, she’s in charge, so she bears responsibly.

Joe: imo, it would have been inappropriate for her or anyone else to come into PITT and blow up everything in a few short months.

Would I have liked to see Tressel come to PITT?. Hell yes. May? would have been cool but I don’t know if he knows anymore than Lyke. Actually I highly doubt he knows more about being an AD than the much maligned Heather. Unfailingly I will add.

Here I am defending Heather Lyke, who I know very little about. I do know that it wasn’t her job to come to PITT and fire Stallings Watson, Conklin, and everyone that Upitt doesn’t like without researching the particular situations, it is super ridiculous imo!

Put it this way, if someone was going to take over a company who has two main products that the companies financial future depends on shouldn’t they make it their business to quickly know as much as possible about each? And if both products are dismal failures isn’t some action warranted? 112 out of 128. Look at the facts, that’s where we are. And that includes games vs YSU and powerhouse Rice.
Ike, we are a hot mess. It may or may not get better, You or I can’t say for sure, that would just be speculation. What can be said for sure is that they are really bad, and have been on the defensive side for some time.
And the football team will be better than the hoops team. Let’s see how she handles that. If you take this job you have to be ready. Let’s see if she is ready.

You are looking at it as a business minded person Joe. Heather was happy to get a real job at a real program b/c she knew it wouldn’t come b/c she never did anything. So she jumped in recklessly. No plan, No experience. Garbage hire. She may be a great lady but her world is compliance and softball. Is that really what we need? PC Garbage. Gallagher has done nothing but hire Smiley to replace him with a female version without the exp.

Well, since some on here would like to know what our great AD can do at this point now – since you know it’s her job and all to manage the image of the sports programs – I’ll offer my 2 cents.

The first thing I would do if I were in her position is let my customers (i.e. fans) know that the product (yes, football is the university’s entertainment product for fans and alumni) that they are paying for is not up to the standards that she or the rest of the administration and the university strove for and expect. Then after I have made clear that I am on the same page with my customers (and empathize with them) I would assure them that over the coming months they can expect to see improvements or changes will be evaluated.

Without making such a public statement all fans are left wondering whether they are ok with status quo. Which is what we are all wondering today.

First good podcast Reed, hope you and INoke enjoyed the game in the local watering hole. :

Second I have to agree with Ike on Heather pooh. She has not knocked my socks off, in fact just the opposite with Fanta, handing out award with a stupid smile on her face while we get humiliated on the field etc etc. I suspect she will come up way short of what we want however, to blame her for this FB mess is not fair. Her first test will be whether she will call in Nard for a post season review and make him explain why his assistants are so bad, why our defense shows not signs of improvement in year 3, our record, etc etc. Nard thinks he is the cock of the walk at Pitt and needs brought down to earth and made accountable. I doubt she will do it but we will see.

Third, and I know I am in a minority on this, the wholesale playing off FR or rsFR is a panic move of the highest degree. Take Pickett and Davis. Briefly (yeah right) Pickett is not ready to be a starter as he has not taken first team snaps since early fall camp. How does it benefit him or the Pitt team to start next week which I myself said yesterday. Does anybody remember HOF Bradshaw and how getting his first playing time behind a team that finished 1-13 ruined his confidence – heck he was benched at the end of the season the year they won their first Super Bowl. Start the Nooch next week with Pickett playing at least 10-20 plays he has practiced. Significant playing time is what counts. Would you play behind this OL which is the worst I have seen in years. Our TE, and WR (except Lopes) are no better. Give him a chance to succeed don’t throw him in the swimming pool holding an anchor. One points to FR WVCC FR lineman – I ask was he playing with 10 other inexperienced players – no.
What has Davis done that makes you all ooh and ahh. If QO can’t succeed with this OL why would Davis based on what you have seen, Second team, significant snaps and carries but start?
Play the FR and rs FR now so by next spring you can replace them with recruits? This is not the pros, in college you live with recruiting mistakes for the most part. Are we firing all young players who dont measure up by playing now? To those likening this to Band of Brothers WADR it would be more like the Vienna Boys Choir in the Ped State showers.
A leader keeps his head while those around him lose theirs. One thing this narcissistic HC has not done is lose his head – that is your job Heather.

Gonna side with Ike on this.
It is much too early for Heather – i run six miles a day – to shake Narduzzis tree in public.
And, she already stated that hoops standards were not met last year.
I will give her a pass on Fanta.
Besides, she is infinitely better than Herman, cronyism, reduce Jamie’s buyout, belittling, momma-needs me so i’m Moving six hours from her, front-porch, turd.

Narduzzi isn’t going anywhere for a while … nor should he. In fact, this is really the first time his decision making really came into question. For those of you with short memories, this was a weekly thing for his predecessor’s 1st 2 years.

Narduzzi just had two 8 win seasons against a harder schedules than any of his predecessors … and it looks like that this will continue (the hard schedules.)

It’s time to play for next year. The defense hs been the better unit for the past 3 weeks and will continue to improve with all its youth. But the offense cares the heck out of me right now. Until the final drive, it went “0 for” on 3rd down for the entire game ,,, much of it was some ridiculous play calling where they didn’t even seem to try for the 1st down. They also has at least 2 occasions when they gained 8 or 9 yards and 1st down but couldn’t move the sticks.

I think you all are missing the point on Lyke. It isn’t her fault is almost correct. She had ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS being hired for this position. She has experience in athletic departments which is correct, but not in building and running winning programs. You may not like me for saying this, but she was a “check” the box hire, partially because of her sex. That is just the facts.

Athletic departments are notorious for giving the “yes” people, titles that make them seem like they did something really important, when they didn’t. Sr. Associate Athletic Director. Does anyone here know what that means? Some would say it’s the right hand person of the AD. It’s Not! In fact, some get that title and their only responsibility is scheduling 12 football games, when 8 or 9 are already scheduled by your conference. You all don’t understand. If you don’t know the details of a position, and our search committee and chancellor didn’t, they should never make that hire. Never! An AD will NEVER tell the details of one of their people or they would be exposed as being bad managers themselves.

You’ll have to wait for the book on this……

So to answer. UPitt is correct. She is the CEO of Athletics. He is also right that that she hasn’t come in with a plan, rather a collegial let’s all get along style. Well folks, we don’t need that style. We needed a Tressel. Not a gopher.

Reed, I hop you can seek out some if your sources and see if there us any truth to what I heard. I am told that there is so much dessention on this team that after the game a few players got physical with one another to the point of coaches getting involved. It sounds like this team is lost.

@Gas – Seriously? You give her credit for saying basketball underperformed!! That’s silly. A 5 year old could have said that. This isn’t about being collegial. Why is it so hard for people to manage. Coach, the expectation is 20 wins this year. What do you need from me to get you there? Speak now. It is then the coaches turn to say I need blank….Then it is on the AD to provide blank. Then it is on the coach to perform IF he is provided with blank. Real simple formula for success.

Plan for it. Measure it. Execute it. Or leave. Good coaches will communicate exactly what they need to be successful and then execute. Bad coaches, like bad Ad’s, like bad Administrators point fingers.

I think you guys are great, but believing half of the stuff that comes out of Pitt as gospel, is ludicrous.

That said I am not down on Pitt players. They just aren’t good enough. I am down on management. Give the coaches the right tools to go get the better players and if they can’t, replace them. At that point, it is not a lack of effort.

Huff,
If she says to Rockport: “You suck donkeys,” do you think that would bode well for ticket sales, merchandizing or recruiting?
It was as strong a rebuke that, given the circumstances she could give.
Also, i am not enameled with her in the least, but to blame her for hoops and football is not warranted.

Why would Lyke wait until the year is over to have the talk with Narduzzi. I never said fire him. My point is make a plan. We have no plan. The plan was the first paragraph and no plan “B”. Plan “B’ is going with youth, sorry. There has to be sacrificial lambs at times. He was staying the course until he went off course by burning redshirts, without a purpose! Have a purpose.

Should we wait for our Juniors and RSJr’s to see if they can big boy block? Why wait for the spring? Of course our guys look like they can block because they have been practicing against the 115th ranked defense. At some point you need to mix it up. Let’s see where the young kids are against a hungry opponent instead of a fat cat DC and his troops.

Has anyone ever wondered why our guys practice at 1/4speed on the videos we get to see? I don’t know how they can be evaluated that way so put them in against someone who actually is trying. The cream will rise to the top.

Huff, they may have been your goals but I ruled a national title a long tome ago … and that goes even if Heather hires Saban.

And even this year, very very few of us thought we would improve on the last 2 eight win years because of the rebuilding, especially on defense, where we had 9 new starters the first few games. I admit the offense is much worse that I had imagined … but apparently you were one of the few who thought the team had a chance for a Coastal title. Me … I was hoping for 3rd in the Coast behind Miami and VT,

Of course we weren’t going Get the number 1 ranked recruiting class perhaps ever. But we could have had a top 20 class for a few years and then in the words of Reed or was it Chris Dokish catch lightening in a bottle and win it all. But that is not going to happen with our coaches. Look, in my life I may do something stupid but in my profession I never do (not saying I don’t make mistakes). SW called a quarterback option run with Max Browne the quarterback inside the 10 yard line if my memory serves me correctly (I think it was 3rd down). He also called a screen pass I think to slow of foot QO inside the 10 yard line. Seriously, how can an OC call plays that dumb unless the OC is ….? And if the OC is …. why didn’t PN know that before he hired him?

There’s a lot of knee jerk reactions on here, fire everyone and play all the young players. This very inexperienced team lost to 3 very good experienced teams and a middle of the road Syracuse squad. GT, PSU and OSU are all very good this year. Like it or not it is time for the fans to have some patience, but that wouldn’t be any fun would it?

With better play calling and player management this Pitt team would have won the game. The problem is not the recruiting or at least it hasn’t been the two years PN has had a full recruiting season to recruit. A program needs something to make it sufficiently special to be above average. What does Pitt have that is special besides its gloried history that is 35 years old? I thought we had PN but now I realize that is nothing special.

Reed, again, can’t say enough about the Sunday morning podcasts. Thank You for all you do…..

Being upset with the hard headed Narduzzi is ok in my book but thinking the new AD is responsible in anyway is bonko’s in my book.

Huff makes a good point but she’s all we got right now. soooo I give her space.

Onto the podcast:

Great point on Henderson. As Mike Tomlin labeled Mike Wallace, he’s a one trick pony at this point and shouldn’t be included in the regular PITT offense. In fact when he is inserted into the play call he could be much more valuable as a decoy.

Not only did the kicker put the ball in the end-zone, the punter kicked away from him as well to keep the ball away from him. << This is his greatest value.

Whitehead’s runs are not jet sweeps. He is in the backfield by in large and his speed is real. I would consider moving him to offense as that is where the problems lay the deepest for PITT this year.

Oh and BTW, Reed: the podcast actually had a positive spin on it this morning. Color me shocked but you did speak the truth.

Under the unbelievable category, why in the heck isn’t Lopes playing from the start of the game? When you are a team like PITT with so many warts, how can you not have your best players on the field at all time.

Drop the jet sweeps for awhile, what team in their right minds allow that play to work this year? That’s dumber than Upitt to think that way.

As far as other teams playing true freshman at QB. We are PITT and we have 3 star QB recruits. Not fair to compare PITT with other football programs. << those kids playing are big big time recruits.

Narduzzi’s ego? eh? He has one and I see no problem. What good coach doesn’t have one? Of course I think he’s over the top in his secrecy and really needs to lean on his other coaches, Partridge, and his experience.

Get the coaches out of the box upstairs and down on the field and eliminate stoopid in game mistakes, No excuses for that.. or…. get a sideline coach and shadow Narduzzi at all times. Not a strength coach.

You can blame the defense, Conklin and Narduzzi all you want. The big problem for PITT is this offense stinking to high hell. Ball control is a good defense best friend.

Starting a young QB ( Pickett) the rest of the season is the only way to go. This was and has been a throw away season all along. BTW Pat, get some of the young O-Line kids in there as well!

Next to the owner of the Browns, Heather has the most difficult job in all of sports. Don’t lose sight of this fact.
Football is in the toilet (still) after having several coaches in the last 5 years, and basketball went from a once proud power to Duquesne.

Ike, don’t you think that Heather should simply just order Duzz to win all the rest of the games? 🙂 That would certainly accomplish something. Also, any assist. coaching changes now would just hurt the admittedly soft recruiting class this year. What troubles me the most is Moss’ suspension. What is going on with this team when the number of suspensions are so high, especially after Whitehead just gets back and the other players should hopefully believe that rules must be followed.

Thanks Rick, I didn’t know that.. It may have helped PITT it they threw him the ball earlier on. Watson does frustrate me to my ending point

Speaking of someone losing the team. As the POV grows and that is most definitely the greatest thing, more commenters from message boards want to come on and stick their chests out. I’m cool with that. I know it’s not my place but this from my perspective, this isn’t message board. It’s my family!

Myself? I left that crap on the ITH, Lair, 247, and all the others. Never participated on the Blather so I say welcome to the new comers. Just be nice. Upitt has earned the right to be a JO to me…. Takes one to know one. . . . 😉 .ike

Who hired all these gutless leaders and lazy idiots? The buck stops at the top. The top is the BoT.

You guys are asking for change. I get it. But the first thing Pitt needs to change is the organizational structure. Then you can start changing the culture. Once the culture changes, you’ll start seeing progress.

Pitt has no serious desire to be involved in athletics. The BoT snobs think we’re some fake Ivy league school. Their focus is on academics. How else do you explain the last 35 years in football and the rankings in the bottom 25% of all sports programs.

I’ve answered my chicken or the egg question. You will not see change for the better unless Pitt feels pain. Thats pain in diminishing donations, pain in dropped attendance, pain in sluggish merchandise sales and pain in bad national perception.

Wow… Some of the comments are brutal (but probably deserved). On Heather, one would imagine she had an understanding of her capabilities and training. Yet, she appears to have jumped for what has to be one of the hardest jobs in college football.

A team with an amazing history, of expecting a chance to win national championships some day, a Cadillac of the old NCAA. Yet the reality is a team without a football field, that has had a parade of coaches ranging from OK to awful, poor recruiting and a lack of support from the BOT. And this doesn’t even mention what has happened to basketball.

She wanted the job – now is no time to grade her on a curve for accepting something hard. She is CEO – act like it. When the Navy had two ships nearly sunk by poor seamanship, the SecDef wasn’t fired but senior Admirals were. Loss of command confidence I think they call it. Instead of happy talk (“well, they really played hard today they just left too many plays on the field), we need some acknowledgement of loss of command confidence.

Next if Defense gets owned next week (they will) take Conklin’s dutjes as DC go away and keep
Him as a recruiter.

Lyke tells rockports he gets 14 wins this year or they need to create a buyout all agree or they fire him for reckless behavior and his treatment of players.

Sit Narduzzi down and tell
Him his bravado and pride have caused this. His success was with another coches players and she just bought a leash. If this happens next year that leash is shortened. Again the following year a bad Season and he is flipping Cappiolcola at Primantis on 51 because he is a MAC DC at best.

Call the BOT out and Gallagher and say you want to win and they get behind it or out of the way.

This would have been the 10th year in a row Pitt would have been in a Bowl Game. Which would be a Pitt Record String of 10 Bowl Games. Of course that is vastly diluted today with 40)FORTY) Bowl games. Which means of the 129 teams in D1, 80 of those will make Bowl Games. Or 62% of schools in D1 will make Bowls. Almost just a Participation Award. And utter joke, an absurdity, (which matches the times as well).

Our last great era of Pitt teams played in 9 straight Bowl Games from 1975 thru 1983. Back then there only 11 to 15 Bowl Games in that time Period. IT TRULY MEANT SOMETHING TO GET A BOWL BID.

Do we really want to break that great era of Pitt teams Bowl String ?
Bowls that included 2 Sugar Bowls, 2 Fiesta Bowls, a Cotton Bowl and 2 Gator Bowls.
All of those games had national significance. None of the Bowls we’ve played in the last 9 years have.

You know what’s weird to me beside most things? …. TX_ comments mean more to me now that I can put a face to the man. I never thought it took guts to go on the round-table but that is beginning to be the sense I’m getting? << you other guys need to join in!!

Jim, Richard, (I actually know a Richard Jim) Mike, Rich, Eric, Mark, Ken of course Fran, Rick, Josh, Annie, Bernie, Larry, Skooter, spouses and all the others that dare to show their faces. It’s a neat thing. Oh and Reed. << the Best! Sorry, after ringing my fingers for 20 minutes my brain freeze wins out if I missed the obvious great posters.

Shout out to my old buddy kiskimintas/VOR for having my back… and others. You know I can take it…..

Hell TX_ seems much more intelligent now and I’m being dead serious! << I know, I seem as dumb as always. Mike keep up with the round-table you are a valuable asset with great PITT insight. Think you’re great.. . . .ike

What troubles me is the last 35 years of Groundhog Day. Pitt had the opportunity to try different approaches over a full 35 years in order to get back to national relevance. But what has it done? It hasnt learned squat. It would rather screw the whore in town than figure out a way to shag Andie.

Look folks, we have written and said many times on here the reason why Pitt, and other similar universities, have football is purely for appearance sake.

Schools without FB programs somehow appear “smaller” even though smaller may be the best for the school. At the rate our alumni donate to athletics (they don’t) perhaps we should look at sticking to what Pitt does best… academics and not athletics.

Because even as a Pitt Athlete the Program HAS NEVER embraced players or fans. I saw it first hand. All it takes is a good 15 year run and a OCS and donations would skyrocket. I could easily give good money but won’t.

I get a text from 3 athletes from Pitt and Teamates. Pitt created a site for cheaper gear for players. The baseball page is a joke and wait for it…………. what would 90% of ex baseball players buy??? A baseball hat. Yeah now of those. 4 athletes made fun of Heather and her expanded team for hours and about Hoops and Football. They all live in pittsburgh. All make over 300k and none attend games or give money because we all agree it is a joke.

I sadly agree. Pitt uses the Pirates approach to running sports. They want students to enroll….that’s all they care about is tuition. “Look….we have a football team & a basketball team in a Power 5 Conference. Please sign here.”

@wwb – those were not my goals. Those came from Pitt and championships from our AD. I don’t speak in aspirational goals. I speak in the realities of where we are and what we are told.

When Pitt gives it an “A” support, they will awaken the giant. This is so similar to the nfl. The nfl thought they could continue to hoodwink the fans and have found that the voices are being heard via the pocketbook. People see through BS when you get BS’d long enough.

Me personally, I like Narduzzi a lot and am in a growing minority each week because of it. I would have preferred a big name AD. I would prefer Coordinators with excellent experience and recruiting ability. People comment on it hurting recruiting next year if there is a change? What? What if you go hire a stud OC or DC and the recruiting gets better instead of worse? Defeatist I tell you.

This is not a knee jerk reaction. Noone on here has been able to write a potential strategy on how to improve athletics for 35 years! 35! If you are in the car business selling fords and your guys are bad salespeople, you go get better ones or you go out of business. Same with players. This isn’t snowflakes, it’s sports. If you aren’t good enough, thank you for trying and it’s time to get somebody else.

Ike, you are awesome, and I appreciate you, but I often wonder what your plan is for things that don’t go as planned for 35 years? At some point don’t you rise up and get angry?

1) A school that likes to brag about 9 nc’s should be able to hire a ad who has some serious chops. This truly was a lightweight hire.

2) You question Mark May as ad, well USC hired L. Swan. I am willing to bet May has a better handle on football than Swann. PSU had Jointer come in. You can look at a number of major, successful programs who have hired ex jocks or alums who understand fundraising is the lifeblood. You need someone who can inspire the base.

3) Who cares how long she has been on the job. If she is competent she looked at the football program prior to getting here, saw they have had one of the worst defenses in college football for tow and one half years, and not seen any changes. She should be familiar with all the warts of the program, and at least be ready to discuss the issue. She should have seen the disaster that was Pitt b-ball and realized we have issues, not praise that bum.

4) There are many employees that can handle marketing, merchandising, and advertising, she has other obligations, and needs to deal with them.

5) Ike and others, it is not our current record which bothers me, I fully expected it. It is the totally unacceptable way the team has played. Honestly, if you are not embarrassed by this display ?I don’t hold out much hope. We can only fall a dozen or so places before we are dead last in a dozen or so NCAA stats. Think about it, think!!

6) Upitt and some others deal in hyperbole, but they are not wrong. We are a mess and I won’t take it on faith we will get better.

7) Point to the two big wins last year, I will say with that team we should have done a hell of a lot better..

8) If any other big time, or aspiring to be big time program had this type of performance the ad would have a sit down at least. She certainly has seen a couple years of this. 6 months, 6 weeks,6 days, a discussion is certainly in order. The way both teams are playing is just not acceptable.

Only see one possible win in that last 6 games Reed posted. That being the Tarholes. They are horrendous as well and the natives are getting restless with Fedora in Chapel Hell. Yea he had one 11 win season, but that didn’t get them to a Major Bowl game and Fedora has lost 3 of the 4 bowls he’s been in.

These are really depressing days. Coming off of some big wins last year it seemed this team was on the rise. They really didn’t have great all around talent but had some tough kids at key positions and played with heart and seemed to really support each other. Boy that NW bowl game was a real view of things to come…

Now, it’s just so clear that we don’t have the talent, coaching, and/ or schemes to compete at anything resembling a high level. Coaching will never be more than average but for the occasional Matt Canada who will then be swiftly picked up by the haves.

Look for the 4-star kids to disappear from recruiting altogether (5-star kids are already non-existent). This team will be an afterthought on a national level, if not already.

As has been said, schedule games against like talent, have a little fun, and play for a Birmingham bowl now and then.

I still enjoy the fruits of my Pitt degree so I’ve got that going for me.

Prediction: Lyke her or not, Heather is going to be here until she gets hired somewhere else. A BigJoke school would have never hired an AD from a MAC school. But they would from another P5 conference.
So Heather is here for awhile, until she finds a better job (like Herman did) and then we can hire another 2nd rate AD from Timbucktoo.

Seems to be the same way it played out with Herman. Oregon State would have never hired some guy from nowheresville Utah State Aggies(only Pitt does those things). But they would if he was an AD at a P5 school.

Jeff Long was the only competent AD Pitt hired in the last 40 years. And he went off to Arkansas.
Long hired both Jamie Dixon and Dave Wannstedt and for that brief time period in the late 2000’s Pitt was named as one of the Top 5 or 10 Combo Sports (basketball & football) Colleges in D1.

I know you guys cringe but I have to say it. This wasn’t never meant to be “THE” season. imo, it was the season not meant to be. You want to hear a lot of Upitt type bitching, wait until next year and you all will get an ear full from me.

Anyone that knows me has an understanding of my tolerance and patience, when that runs out I fully have the ability to tell it like it is.

Some of the thoughts on the POV recently are just not well thought out but come from frustration and quite honestly, hate. << This is not objective thinking imo.

eh, I get the fact that on the POV objective thinking isn’t a requirement.

My big disappoints so far this year?

The O-Line stinks to high hell.
The running backs stink to high hell and Ollison leads the hell. << He’s terrible
The linebackers are terrible. (outside Odowu)
Watson is horrible who needs to take more chances on offense.
Flanagan is just a big of a waste of time as Browne.
Narduzzi not playing the young guys more in a year of re-treatment.
You guys. The constant whining is almost more that I can take as the defense has played much better.
The offense, killing this defense and it’s not fair just like last year it wasn’t fair to the offense.
The lack of perspective on the POV. << This could be #1 over-all.
My last dog died months ago and I still miss Gus! << perspective! . . . .love you all ike

How did Big Q go for running for over a 1000 yards, just 2 years ago(named ACC Rookie of the Year). The more he got coached the worse he got…..apparently.

Hey and if it wasn’t for his great 30 yard TD run, the score wouldn’t have been as close.
Add in the very strange Dino Babers call with 4 and 1, on their last possession and this game
really wasn’t a close as the score appeared.

Btw you won’t see my face on the Weds nite thing, cause I don’t have a camera on my puter.
Adding another ugly mug to the confab I dont think will add anything anyway….do you ? lol

Your point about Ollison also makes me truly curious about the offensive line. Officer, Bookser and O’Neill have at least one full season of starting experience. Jones-Smith has had spot starts and played in every game in 2014 and 2016. He was injured in 2015. Given that, how did the offensive line become a glaring weakness with the losses of Biz and DJ? Biz and DJ were very good, but they certainly weren’t dominant players and Pitt certainly wasn’t left handed last season.

Is it the position movement? The coaching? Have they lost the ability?

Again, we dont live for football like some at many schools but football does need to give us some life back. Why should we support a program that sucks out our life force? If I wanted that to happen, I could think of other ways.

We haven’t been to a legitimate bowl game in over 30 years. Sure, Fiesta Bowl with Walt where we were 6-5 and got our doors blown off by Utah.
So maybe we are just wasting our time and catecholamines, waiting for something to happen that never will.

It does appear to be an Effort in Futility. One Major Bowl game since 1982-83 season. What is that, 34 going on 35 years. We must all be crazy. I don’t watch NFL anymore or NBA, so Pitt is my only sports habit. And gotta say I didn’t even watch half of the bball games last year. Expect the same this year.

I think a combination of two poor decisions by Coach Duzz torpedoed this season. The decisions were to bring in Max Brown and to have Watson attempt to stick with Canada’s offense.

Just ridiculous to me to have Max run any play that calls on the QB to be a run threat. Like playing 10 against 11. Max requires a “max” protect scheme with quick passes…

So now we’ve invested spring ball and camp on a No. 1 senior QB who just doesn’t fit the system.

And we constantly see college QBs throwing perfect passes, while our own passes are off just enough to be defended or incomplete.

I thought Max missed some critical wide open guys; and Weah wasn’t wide open but if the pass is a foot farther, it’s likely a TD. Just like DeNooch’s deep pass — which was like a yard short of where it needed to be.

I’m with Ike — I see the flaws and they are great, but I’ll root for Pitt and attend every home game because they’re my school. (Just like I did when I was a student and we had three 1-9 seasons…ugh!)

UPitt will say I’m accepting mediocrity; but I only have one alma mater…:-)

Maybe you should get a life “Anonymous”, after all, I post my name, my picture and pretty much my life history on the POV. You post insults anonymously. << LOL! , take a look at the child in the mirror kiddo.

@Gas – It’s not Flanagan hating. I think it is more of lets see what we have coming in the pipeline. Remember, we also burned true freshman Tyler Sear redshirt. He should play more. Plus, I like him. Not in an awkward way. Real game speed and experience will beat a 50% intrasquad effort in practice any day of the week.

You play the freshman now. Give them some good tape and bad tape and the tape will show them what they need to improve on during December, January, February and March. The kids that love the game will take that coaching and improve. The kids that have no tape, have no idea of their strengths or weaknesses and it will be starting from scratch next year. PLAN to succeed.

With the freshman, we still have Duke, Va and NC on the schedule. Those are all winnable no matter who you play. Which of those three lights us up? Answer:None. Get them valuable experience.

Did anyone answer why we ever contemplated Avonte Maddox as a runner, ever? If he took one snap away from learning his craft on the defensive side of the ball to practice offense, well…..that’s cute.

Candidly guys, I am not angry at all. We are what we are. I will pick us somehow to win against NCSt.

It has been a rough start to our season. The optimists, realists and pessimists can all agree on this.

In some respects, it has unquestionably been worse than most expected. It’s not that we’ve lost 4 games, its HOW we’ve lost that has us most frustrated.

But please, someone identify another program that replaced 85 percent of their starters, lost 6 or 8 of those starters to the NFL, has a total of 2 seniors on the two deep, and played an equally brutal schedule that has won more than 2 games thus far?

There is lots of blame to go around. I was hoping to put an article together for Reed that analyzes some of the specifics. But forgetting about the HOW we have got to this point, we’re realistically only one win away from where we legitimately expected to be.

The defense, considering the stress caused to it by the putrid offense, and given the dismissals and suspensions, has been better than last year. I go to the home games and watch all the others on tv, sometimes twice (yes, I need professional help). I can see improvements regardless of the statistics. Don’t misunderstand, there are still issues with individual players and the coaching. But looking at it simplistically, just compare the Syracuse game yesterday to last year’s track meet.

The offense is another issue.
However, unless it makes you feel good, you can stop with the fire Narduzzi nonsense. He’s not going anywhere. Tell me when, in the history of college football, a coach who inherits a team that went 6-6 for four straight years goes 8-5 in his first two seasons and gets fired the following year? If we don’t win another game this season, he keeps his job. You may wish it, but it’s not going to happen.

To gain some perspective, I’d ask you to look up Nick Saban’s record at Michigan State, before he left for LSU.

We get in the lab (Monday). We get back to work, and we work on our response,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’re going to be defined individually, collectively on how we respond to an outing like that. I’ve been there in it long enough to have that understanding. I think many of the team has. That was relayed to them. We chew it today. We get in the lab tomorrow.”

I’m way more tired of his garbage than anything Narduzzi has done. His players are paid millions to perform. You can count on Tomlin’s losing two games per year to teams that win less than 6 games. The Steelers have now lost to two teams that could not throw the ball. Pathetic.

For me, I have to distance myself from all the negativity in the evening or I won’t sleep well, even though much of it is reality.

There were two good sporting events on that captured my attention – Indians baseball (tough 1-0 loss) and Rangers hockey (nice 2-0 win).

As the CEO of my company, this week I’m going to make sure my employees execute the plan we established for this year and continue to develop to strategic plan for next year. Success needs leadership, a plan and execution. Pitt has none of that right now. The company I’m running is targeted to have it’s best year ever in it’s 38 year history. Pitt can’t show me where either program (FB nor BB) will be good to great anytime soon.

Sad to say that – communicating to the fans what your plan is helps sell tickets and keeps the interest when winning is down. Heather, if you are reading this, get tough with Narduzzi and Stallings. They’re egomaniacs that don’t think you have a say in their programs and thus they don’t believe the fans do either.

My support will diminish until I hear what the plan is. These coaches don’t have to reveal the intimate details – just give me the 30,000 foot version. I can’t spend another dime until I know.

FYI – my Pitt magnet was stolen from my vehicle last week – no desire to replace it. I’m proud of my education, not the FB and BB teams – both unorganized hot-messes.

I’m always up at midnight……Saw today a Steeler team get beat badly in both lines of scrimmage. You cannot run your plays or defend the field when that happens. Maybe it is a Southside thing…I cannot get mad with Watson because time after time, Pitt’s O line was pancaked, lifted up and driven into their own backfield. You simply cannot run any play when that happens. I hate Haley and think he is one of the worst hires in Steeler history, but I cannot blame him when the O line gets crushed like today.

Pitt’s D line and the entire defense played a bit better but still got handled Way too much to win.

I think the most stunning thing about our Spring and summer was that most of us saw the O line as a strength. Then we make a walk-in frosh center and he gets dominated every week. It just takes one weak link to collapse the entire line. Unfortunately we have about 3 weak links.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at HC …..not the game.

Pickett is this team’s savior. Hope our brilliant staff decides to play him.

It’s true, but what’s the problem? Officer has started for 3 seasons. Bookser started some games as a RS-freshman and started all of last year. People were, or perhaps still are, sure that O’Neill is headed for the NFL next year. Jones-Smith has played in at least two dozen games and started a few. They’ve all been part of competent to excellent offenses at Pitt. It can’t be that they have always been poor players. That would have been exposed long before this season.

We do know that Officer, O’Neill and at times Bookser have moved from the positions that they played in a prolific offense last season. It doesn’t seem to have worked out well so far.

Anyone remember the season where Walt went 2 and 9 after taking us to the Liberty Bowl? Is this Narduzzi’s mulligan year…or are we going to be living in Johnny Majors Part II again?

SERIOUS QUESTION: If we would fire Nard, would anyone with a respectable resume want to come here? I don’t think they would. We have to share facilities with the Stillers so we don’t have our own identity, no one cares about the program because we have sucked more than not for the past thirty years, and we are a pro town.

I think the only people that would be excited to come to the Burgh are MAC/Sun Belt/Conf USA people like…Heather Lyke.

Two suggestions for coaches and this is only if Nard craps the bed for the next two or three years are Tommy Tubberville because he’s so damn old and washed up he would actually stay and Eric Kasperowicz of Pine-Richland. He is a Pitt alum and it has to break his heart as it does mine to watch this.

Two final thoughts: I love Pitt with all my heart and if I had a son that was a football or basketball recruit, I would tell him not to go to Pitt with the way the athletic dept. is run. That’s pathetic. That’s like telling a kid not to work for the family business.

Finally, if we are going to suck, let’s do it in style. Give up the athletic dept. hubris and just give us the damn uniforms we want. Even the southern bubba announcers were perplexed on Saturday why we don’t wear them.

In Heather, the Pitt BOT got exactly what they wanted, someone, unlike Tressel, who would not come in and rock the boat. Who wants someone to come in who actually knows how to win? Tressel would immediately want changes including a bigger recruiting budget. The Chancellor made the final decision, which was apparently that Pitt should win 7-9 games per year, just enough to qualify for a bowl game.

POVers, just talked to several of the East Carolina faithful. According to them,ECU homecoming had less than 30k (announced at 30K). Stadium holds about 52-53k,They noted some of the money people pulling out.
ECU usually has a rabid fan base and are having a poor season with losses piling up but the biggest loss was OC Lincoln Riley to Oklahoma.

I see college football trending downward at Pitt and many other schools. It’s not the game I enjoyed many years ago where it felt like it was “my school against yours.” The game is being ruined as we speak in so many aspects with money or the lack of responsible for a big part of the decline but not limited to just money-include players who shouldn’t be in a college to start with, discipline issues scandals, players leaving for the NFL in 3 years, transfers coming in for a year, conference re-alignment with loss of real rivalries and the list goes on and on.

Throw in the aging/passing of the old group who remember the Glory Days and most young WPA guys our age actually played the game, add in millenials who would rather text and most who never played the game and general apathy of the locals and might as well throw in the BoT- I just dont see us coming out of the situation…

New on-campus stadium you say…get rid of the coach you say….I don’t know the answer but I do know the current college game sucks unless you are a fan of the Alabamas, Michigans, Ohio State and Oklahomas of the world who know no limits when it comes to winning the game of football.

As of today I’m going to start shutting down comment sections as soon as insults and sniping happen between the posters.

I agree with Ike 100% And will not allow this great blog to become like the message boards where people are hurling insults at each other instead of actively and legitimately trying to discuss Pitt football.

I’ll do it and I will have no hesitation whatsoever to do it, so please clean up your acts, all of you myself included, or the POV will be just something for you to read and not be able to comment on.

BigB please note all the games are either on TV or viewable via the internet. The big state schools usually have no problem in filling their stadiums. All other playing 500 ball will continue to see less and less show up to watch their games.